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The Spanish Princess

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The Spanish Princess
Genre
Based onThe King's Curse & The Constant Princess
by Philippa Gregory
Developed by
Written by
  • Emma Frost
  • Matthew Graham
  • Helen Childress
  • Nicki Renna
  • Andrea Thornton Bolden
Directed by
Starring
Composers
Country of originUnited States
United Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerAndrea Dewsbery
CinematographyMaja Zamojda
Editors
  • Jo Smyth
  • Caroline Bleakley
  • David Yardley
  • Nikki McChristie
Running time55 minutes
Production companies
  • All3 Media’s New Pictures
  • Playground
  • Giddy Ink
  • Jumping Joseph
Original release
NetworkStarz
ReleaseMay 5, 2019 (2019-05-05) –
present

The Spanish Princess is a British-American historical period drama television limited series developed by Emma Frost and Matthew Graham for Starz. It is based on the novels The Constant Princess and The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory and it is a sequel to the miniseries The White Queen and The White Princess. The series premiered on May 5, 2019, with an initial eight episode order. On June 3, 2019, Starz ordered an additional eight episodes to premiere in 2020 and conclude the story.

Premise

Teenaged princess Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Spanish rulers Isabella and Ferdinand, finally travels to England, to meet her husband by proxy, Arthur, Prince of Wales, heir apparent of Henry VII of England, to whom she has been betrothed since she was a child. Unwelcome by some, she and her diverse court, including her lady-in-waiting Lina, who is of Moorish ancestry, struggle to adapt to English customs. Catherine is horrified to learn that it is Arthur's younger brother, the arrogant Harry, Duke of York, who is the author of the romantic correspondence she has received. When Arthur dies suddenly, her destiny as the one who will bring peace between Spain and England seems in doubt, until she sets her sights on Prince Harry.

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateU.S. viewers
(millions)
'
1"The New World"Birgitte StærmoseEmma Frost & Matthew GrahamMay 5, 2019 (2019-05-05)0.393[1]
October - November 1501: Catherine arrives in England. When she meets Arthur, Prince of Wales, Catherine is disappointed that he isn't as romantic in person as he was in his letters. She later learns it was Arthur's younger brother, Harry, who exchanged letters with her. Elizabeth, the queen, tells Catherine that the brother of her cousin, Maggie Pole, was beheaded because Catherine's mother, Isabella, would only pledge Catherine's hand in marriage if there were no other claimants to England's throne. As Harry walks Catherine to the altar on her wedding day, he admits that he initially exchanged letters with her to hurt Arthur, but later found that her letters excited him.
2"Fever Dream"Birgitte StærmoseMatthew GrahamMay 12, 2019 (2019-05-12)0.398[2]
November 1501 – April 1502: After the wedding, Arthur and Catherine stay in Henry's household for a short time. Arthur and Harry's sister Margaret learns that Henry has offered her hand in marriage to James IV of Scotland to form another alliance for England. Catherine begs Maggie Pole's forgiveness for being the reason Maggie's brother was murdered. Arthur and Catherine set off for Ludlow Castle, to set-up their own household, and become closer as they learn more about each other. Maggie Pole and her family accompany them. Arthur becomes gravely ill. Henry and Elizabeth race to Ludlow, but arrive too late. Henry informs Catherine she will return to London and stay in the royal household until they know if she is with child.
3"An Audacious Plan"Daina ReidHelen ChildressMay 19, 2019 (2019-05-19)0.456[3]
April 1502 – February 1503: Catherine learns that Isabella is arranging another alliance marriage. Catherine hides her true condition to bide her time in England, which would solve many problems for her, her maid, Lina, and her guard, Oviedo. Catherine tells Lina, and later Harry, that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated. Harry proposes and asks Henry to request a papal dispensation so he and Catherine can marry. Elizabeth goes into labor. After the difficult stillbirth, she has a vision that the Tudor line will end if Harry and Catherine marry and begs Henry to prevent the marriage. As Catherine writes to Isabella for her blessing to marry Harry, mourning bells begin peal for Elizabeth.
4"The Battle for Harry"Daina ReidNicki RennaMay 26, 2019 (2019-05-26)0.500[4]
March 1503: Edmund de la Pole, the leading Yorkist claimant to the throne and a cousin of both the late queen and Maggie Pole, is plotting to overthrow Henry. Henry tells Lady Beaufort that Harry wants to marry Catherine. She confronts Catherine about her alleged virginity then orders her out of the palace. Lady Beaufort bans Maggie from court when Maggie states Catherine may be telling the truth. Henry learns Maximilian I is protecting Edmund de la Pole. Henry sets his grief aside to see Margaret off as she departs for Scotland to marry. He hosts a feast to celebrate the future and invites Catherine. Henry makes an announcement that indirectly fulfills the late queen's dying wish: a royal marriage between himself and Catherine.
5"Heart Versus Duty"Lisa ClarkeAndrea Thornton BoldenJune 2, 2019 (2019-06-02)0.546[5]
Late 1503 – Late 1505: Catherine is torn between her duty to marry Henry and her desire to marry Harry. Margaret arrives in Scotland and is pleasantly surprised by her betrothed. Harry tells Lady Beaufort, and later Catherine, that if Catherine wants to marry him instead Henry, he will fight for her. Catherine fears her fate should she reject Henry and crush his pride, but decides to follow her heart. She convinces Henry that the alliance with Spain will be weakened when Harry becomes king if she is Henry's widow instead of Harry's wife. Henry withdraws his intentions, but reminds Catherine and Harry that they can only marry if the Pope grants a dispensation and if Spain pays the remainder of Catherine's dowry. Maggie Pole's husband dies unexpectedly.
6"A Polite Kidnapping"Lisa ClarkeEmma FrostJune 9, 2019 (2019-06-09)0.493[6]
January – April 1506: Catherine learns that her mother has died, her sister Joanna is queen of Castile, and her father won't pay her dowry. Joanna and her husband Philip are stranded in England. Henry, hoping Philip's father, Maximilian I, will turn over Edmund de la Pole, secretly delays repairs to their ship. Maggie Pole is destitute. To extract a forced confession about Catherine's virginity, Lady Beaufort offers assistance to Maggie, which she refuses. In exchange for her dowry, Catherine tells Joanna how she can escape England: Joanna will persuade Maximilian to turn de la Pole over to Henry or lose trade with Castile if Henry takes an oath to spare de la Pole's life. Rather than pay Catherine's dowry, Joanna forms a new alliance with England at the suggestion of Lady Beaufort: betroth Joanna's son Charles to Harry's younger sister, Mary.
7"All is Lost"Stephen WoolfendenHelen ChildressJune 16, 2019 (2019-06-16)0.509[7]
September 1506 - December 1507: Catherine learns there is to be a double wedding in Spain: Mary to her nephew Charles and Harry to her niece Eleanor. Oviedo proposes to Lina and tells her he is working for Lady Beaufort. Harry is torn between his duty to marry Eleanor and his desire to marry Catherine. Maggie Pole seeks shelter with Catherine and Lina. Catherine's father Ferdinand writes that Joanna's husband Philip has died and Joanna is not fit to rule Castile. Ferdinand is guardian to Joanna's children and Castile's regent. Ferdinand makes Catherine Aragon ambassador to England and promises her dowry. Catherine's new status allows her and Lina to move back into the palace. Oviedo provides Lady Beaufort with the names of de la Pole's co-conspirators, which now include Maggie and her eldest son. He later protects Maggie's son during a raid.
8"Destiny"Stephen WoolfendenEmma Frost & Matthew GrahamJune 23, 2019 (2019-06-23)0.528[8]
April 1509 - June 1509: Henry dies. Harry reaffirms his desire to marry Catherine. Lady Beaufort accuses Edmund Dudley of treason (for her own illegal activities) and he is beheaded. Harry pardons Maggie Pole and her children and they return to court. Lady Beaufort extracts a forced confession from Lina about Catherine's virginity by accusing Oviedo of theft and demanding his hanging. Lina and Oviedo marry before his hanging. Harry and Catherine arrive in time to save Oviedo's life. Harry learns the Pope granted a dispensation sometime before Henry's death. Lady Beaufort dies. On their wedding day, Catherine receives a letter from Ferdinand, stating Harry slept with Joanna. Harry denies it, and Catherine again denies that she slept with Arthur.
'
9"Camelot"[9]TBDEmma Frost & Matthew Graham[9]2020 (2020)[10]TBD

Production

Development

On March 15, 2018, it was announced that Starz had greenlit the production. Emma Frost and Matthew Graham were set to serve as showrunners in addition to executive producing alongside Colin Callender, Scott Huff, Charlie Pattinson, and Charlie Hampton. Production companies involved with the series were expected to consist of All3 Media’s New Pictures and Playground.[11]

On May 17, 2018, it was reported that the first two episodes of the series would be directed by Birgitte Stærmose and that the subsequent episodes would also be directed by women.[12]

It was announced on June 3, 2019, that the series would return for another eight episodes, to be broadcast in 2020, with stars Charlotte Hope and Ruairi O'Connor returning to the show as Catherine and Henry respectively,[10] "along with other key cast".[13]

Casting

Alongside the directing announcement, it was confirmed that Charlotte Hope, Stephanie Levi-John, Angus Imrie, Harriet Walter, Laura Carmichael, Ruairi O’Connor, Georgie Henley, Elliot Cowan, Alexandra Moen, Philip Cumbus, Nadia Parkes, Aaron Cobham, Alan McKenna, Richard Pepper, Olly Rix, Jordan Renzo, Daniel Cerqueira, and Alicia Borrachero had been cast in the series.[12]

Filming

Principal photography for the series commenced on May 15, 2018, at Wells Cathedral in Wells, Somerset.[14]

Release

On December 20, 2018, a "first look" still image from the series was released.[15] On January 25, 2019, a teaser trailer for the series was released.[16]

On March 7, 2019, the series was given a May 5, 2019, premiere date.[17]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the series has an approval rating of 82% based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 7.13/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Spanish Princess blends soapy melodrama with beautifully rendered historical set-pieces to paint a rounder -- if still not fully realized -- portrait of an often overlooked queen."[18] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 73 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[19]

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of The Spanish Princess
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "The New World" May 5, 2019 0.1 0.393[1] — —
2 "Fever Dream" May 12, 2019 0.1 0.398[2] 0.464 0.862[20]
3 "An Audacious Plan" May 19, 2019 0.1 0.456[3] 0.503 0.959[21]
4 "The Battle for Harry" May 26, 2019 0.1 0.500[4] 0.556 1.056[22]
5 "Heart Versus Duty" June 2, 2019 0.1 0.546[5] 0.512 1.058[23]
6 "A Polite Kidnapping" June 9, 2019 0.1 0.493[6] — —
7 "All is Lost" June 16, 2019 0.1 0.509[7] 0.560 1.069[24]
8 "Destiny" June 23, 2019 0.1 0.528[8] 0.481 1.010[25]

References

  1. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 7, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.5.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 7, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 14, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.12.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 14, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 21, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.19.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 21, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (May 29, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 5.26.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (June 4, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.2.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 4, 2019.
  6. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (June 11, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.9.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  7. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (June 18, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.16.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (June 25, 2019). "Updated: ShowBuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 6.23.2019". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved June 25, 2019.
  9. ^ a b @EmmaFrostLondon (June 25, 2019). "Tum ti tum..." (Tweet). Retrieved June 28, 2019 – via Twitter.
  10. ^ a b Porter, Rick (3 June 2019). "The Spanish Princess extended by another eight episodes". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 June 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  11. ^ Petski, Denise (March 15, 2018). "Starz Greenlights The White Princess Followup Series The Spanish Princess". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Petski, Denise (May 17, 2018). "The Spanish Princess: Charlotte Hope To Star In The White Princess Follow-Up On Starz". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  13. ^ Maas, Jennifer (3 June 2019). "The Spanish Princes extended by another eight episodes". TheWrap.com. Retrieved 3 June 2019. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  14. ^ Malloy, Tomas (May 15, 2018). "Photos show film crews invading Somerset town for new movie". Somerset Live. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  15. ^ Lee Lenker, Maureen (December 20, 2018). "Exclusive: Get your first look at Catherine of Aragon in 'The Spanish Princess'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
  16. ^ Kosin, Julie (January 25, 2019). "The First Trailer for 'The Spanish Princess' Is Here and It's Mesmerizing". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
  17. ^ Iannucci, Rebecca (March 7, 2019). "The Spanish Princess: Philippa Gregory Adaptation to Debut in May on Starz". TVLine.
  18. ^ "The Spanish Princess: Season 1 (2019)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  19. ^ "The Spanish Princess". Metacritic. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  20. ^ Welch, Alex (May 29, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' stays on top of the cable Live +7 ratings for May 6-12". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  21. ^ Welch, Alex (June 6, 2019). "'Game of Thrones' finale tops 18-49 and viewer gains: Cable Live +7 ratings for May 13-19". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  22. ^ Welch, Alex (June 13, 2019). "'Vanderpump Rules,' 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' get biggest boosts in cable Live +7 ratings for May 20-26". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
  23. ^ Welch, Alex (June 17, 2019). "'The Hot Zone' posts biggest viewer gains in the cable Live +7 ratings for May 27 – June 2". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  24. ^ Welch, Alex (June 27, 2019). "'Big Little Lies' scores big gains in cable Live +7 ratings for June 10-16". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 27, 2019.
  25. ^ Welch, Alex (July 9, 2019). "'Yellowstone' premiere doubles in cable Live +7 ratings for June 17-23". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved July 9, 2019.
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